Examining associations between child welfare workforce well-being and utilization of casework skills with children and families

Background: While child welfare scholarship has paid much attention to workforce well-being such as burnout, secondary traumatic stress (STS), and compassion satisfaction, few studies have investigated how these outcomes influence utilization of casework skills.

Objectives: This study aimed to understand the relationship between child welfare workforce well-being and use of casework skills. Specifically, we examined associations between burnout, STS, and compassion satisfaction and casework skills including parent/youth engagement, safety and risk assessment/case planning, and relative/kin connections.

Participants and setting: Participants comprised 786 child welfare direct service workers and supervisors in a Midwestern state.

Method: Using a repeated cross-sectional design, data were collected via online surveys. Multivariate regression tested relationships between measures of well-being and casework skills.

Results: First, higher compassion satisfaction was positively associated (p = 0.000, f² = 0.14) while higher burnout (p = 0.000, f² = 0.04) and STS (p = 0.002, f² = 0.01) were negatively associated with use of engagement skills. Similarly, higher compassion satisfaction was positively associated (p = 0.000, f² = 0.18) and higher burnout (p = 0.000, f² = 0.06) and STS (p = 0.001, f² = 0.02) were negatively associated with use of assessment/case planning skills. Lastly, compassion satisfaction (p = 0.000, f² = 0.06) was positively associated and burnout was negatively associated (p = 0.000, f² = 0.02) with relative/kin connections.

Conclusion: Child welfare workforce well-being may influence use of casework skills. More research is needed to understand how positive workforce well-being impacts service delivery and, ultimately, child and family outcomes.